Miramar Officials Don't Need Raise

September 18, 2003|Paul Q. Holloway Miramar

Re the Sept. 7 story: "[Miramar] Commission seeking hefty raise": Whoa. Hello, am I missing something? A 41 percent raise for the commissioners and 23 percent for the mayor? How ludicrous. Some of these neophytes knew what the compensation was before they ran for and were elected to the Miramar City Commission. Now they want more of our tax dollars.

The compensation for a commissioner is not intended to be the sole source of income, but rather a civic dedication and commitment.

There are many families surviving on less than the commissioners' pay who work 40 to 50 hours a week or more. The commissioners attend two meetings a month for about three or four hours. What else do they do? They, and the mayor, are seldom in their offices. (Try to call them at their office numbers.) They are afforded laptop computers, cell phones and reimbursement for certain expenses. A very handsome deal.

If any of these commissioners feels that he or she is underpaid for this part-time position, then they should pursue an alternative career path. In short, get a job.